A spin transport channel includes a dielectric layer contacting a conductive layer. The dielectric layer includes at least one of a tantalum oxide, hafnium oxide, titanium oxide, and nickel oxide. An intermediate spin layer contacts the dielectric layer. The intermediate spin layer includes at least one of copper and silver. The conductive layer is more electrochemically inert than the intermediate spin layer. A polarizer layer contacts the intermediate spin layer. The polarizer layer includes one of a nickel-iron based material, iron, and cobalt based material. The conductive layer and intermediate layer are disposed on opposite sides of the dielectric layer. The dielectric layer and the polarizer layer are disposed on opposite sides of the intermediate spin layer. The intermediate spin layer is arranged to form a conducting path through the dielectric layer configured to transport a plurality of electrons. Each of the plurality of electrons maintains a polarized electron spin.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A spin transport channel comprising a conductive layer; a dielectric layer contacting the conductive layer, the dielectric layer including at least one of a tantalum oxide, hafnium oxide, titanium oxide, and nickel oxide; an intermediate spin layer contacting the dielectric layer, the intermediate spin layer including at least one of copper and silver, wherein the conductive layer is more electrochemically inert than the intermediate spin layer; and a polarizer layer contacting the intermediate spin layer, the polarizer layer including at least one of a nickel-iron based material, iron, and cobalt based material, wherein the conductive layer and intermediate layer are disposed on opposite sides of the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer and the polarizer layer are disposed on opposite sides of the intermediate spin layer, wherein the intermediate spin layer is arranged to form a conducting path through the dielectric layer configured to transport a plurality of electrons, wherein each of the plurality of electrons maintains a polarized electron spin.
2. The spin transport channel of claim 1 , wherein the conducting path forms in response to a voltage.
3. The spin transport channel of claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer is Ni-80Fe15Mo5, the dielectric layer is tantalum oxide, the intermediate spin layer is copper, and the polarizer layer is cobalt.
4. The spin transport channel of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer is thicker than the intermediate spin layer.
5. The spin transport channel of claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer and the polarizer layer have an equal thickness.
6. The spin transport channel of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate spin layer is arranged to annihilate the conducting path through the dielectric layer in response to a voltage.
7. The spin transport channel of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the thickness of the intermediate spin layer to the thickness of the dielectric layer is about 1:3.
8. The spin transport channel of claim 1 , wherein the conducting path spans the entire thickness of the dielectric layer.
9. The spin transport channel of claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer is disposed on a base comprising at least one of silicon or silicon dioxide.
10. The spin transport channel of claim 9 , wherein the base includes a first layer of silicon and a second layer of silicon dioxide.
11. A spin transport component comprising a conductive layer; a dielectric layer contacting the conductive layer; an intermediate spin layer contacting the dielectric layer a polarizer layer contacting the intermediate spin layer, wherein the conductive layer and intermediate layer are disposed on opposite sides of the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer and the polarizer layer are disposed on opposite sides of the intermediate spin layer; and a voltage source electrically coupled to the spin transport channel, wherein the intermediate spin layer forms a conducting path through the dielectric layer to transport a plurality of electrons having a respective polarized electron spin in response to a voltage from the voltage source, wherein each of the plurality of electrons maintains the respective polarized electron spin.
12. The spin transport component of claim 11 , wherein the conductive layer is a Ni-80Fe15Mo5 material, wherein the dielectric layer is tantalum oxide, wherein the intermediate spin layer is copper, and wherein the polarizer layer is cobalt.
13. The spin transport component of claim 11 , wherein the voltage source is electrically coupled to both the polarizer layer and the conductive layer.
14. The spin transport component of claim 11 , wherein the spin transport channel is disposed on a base including a first layer of silicon and a second layer of silicon dioxide.
15. The spin transport component of claim 11 , wherein the conducting path is annihilated in response to applying a voltage of opposite polarity from the voltage source to set the spin transport channel to an “OFF” state.
16. The spin transport component of claim 11 , wherein a spin source and a spin logic circuit are connected to the spin transport channel.
17. The spin transport component of claim 11 , wherein the conducting path formed in response to the voltage from the voltage source has a diameter of about 10 nm.
18. The spin transport component of claim 11 , wherein a thickness of the conductive layer is about 60 nm, a thickness of the dielectric layer is about 16 nm, a thickness of the intermediate spin layer is about 5 nm, and a thickness of the polarizer layer is about 60 nm.
19. The spin transport component of claim 11 , wherein the polarizer layer includes a stack having at least one ferromagnetic material and at least one non-ferromagnetic material.
20. The spin transport component of claim 11 , wherein the conductive layer is disposed on a base comprising at least one of silicon or silicon dioxide.
21. The spin transport component of claim 11 , wherein the conducting path spans the entire thickness of the dielectric layer.
22. A method of using electron spin in a computational component, the method comprising: providing a spin transport channel including a conductive layer including at least one of a nickel-iron based material and a cobalt based material, a dielectric layer contacting the conductive layer, the dielectric layer including a tantalum oxide, an intermediate spin layer contacting the dielectric layer, the intermediate spin layer including copper, a polarizer layer contacting the intermediate spin layer, the polarizer layer including at least one of a nickel-iron based material and a cobalt material, wherein the conductive layer and intermediate layer are disposed on opposite sides of the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer and the polarizer layer are disposed on opposite sides of the intermediate spin layer; applying a voltage to the spin transport channel; forming a conducting path of the intermediate spin layer through the dielectric layer in response to the applied voltage; and transporting a plurality of electrons through the spin transport channel via the conducting path, wherein each of the plurality of electrons maintains a respective polarized electron spin.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the conductive layer is comprised of Ni-80Fe15Mo5, wherein the dielectric layer is comprised of the tantalum oxide, wherein the intermediate spin layer is comprised of the copper, and wherein the polarizer layer is comprised of cobalt.
24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the applied voltage is equal to or less than 1.5 volts.
25. The method of claim 22 , including the step of annihilating the conducting path in response to providing a voltage of an opposite polarity.
26. The method of claim 22 , wherein the conducting path spans the entire thickness of the dielectric layer.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
November 30, 2012
January 17, 2017
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